Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRACE, n. [Fr. bras; Sp. brazo; Port. braço; Arm. breach, or breh; Ir. brac, and raigh; W. braic; Corn. breck, or breh; L. brachium; Gr. βραχιων, the arm. This word furnishes a clear and decisive evidence of the change of a palatal letter into a sibilant. The change comes through the Spanish or other Celtic dialect, brach, brazo, the Sp. z being originally a palatal or guttural; thence to the Fr. bras, and Eng. brace. In like manner, Durazzo is formed from Dyrrachium. The Greek verbs furnish a multitude of similar changes. This word furnishes also a proof that b is a prefix, for in Irish, brac is written also raigh. The sense of arm is, that which breaks forth, a shoot. From bras, the French have embrasser, to embrace, and in Sp. brazas is braces, and bracear, is to brace, and to swing the arms. Brace, in naval affairs, is in D. bras; Dan. bras, and braser, to brace. Qu. is this the same word as the Fr. bras, an arm?]

1. In architecture, a piece of timber framed in with bevel-joints, to keep the building from swerving either way. It extends like an arm from the post or main timber.
2. That which holds any thing tight; a cincture or bandage. The braces of a drum are not bands.
3. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks. It is used of persons, only in contempt, or in a style of drollery.
4. In music, a double curve at the beginning of a stave.
5. A thick strap, which supports a carriage on wheels.
6. A crooked line in printing, connecting two or more words or lines; thus, boll, or bowl. It is used to connect triplets in poetry.
7. In marine language, a rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, to square or traverse the yard. The name is given also to pieces of iron which are used as supports; such as the poop lanterns, &c. – Mar. Dict.
8. Brace, or brasse, is a foreign measure answering to our fathom.
9. Harness; warlike preparation; as, we say, girded for battle. – Shak.
10. Tension; tightness. – Holder.
11. Braces, [plur.,] suspenders, the straps that sustain pantaloons, &c.
12. The braces of a drum, are the cords on the sides of it, for tightening the heads and snares.